


Bad Dreams and Smiling Plants

by BrownTyto



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Past Abuse, Past Joker/Harleen Quinzel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 10:05:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13901724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrownTyto/pseuds/BrownTyto
Summary: "If one were to look up the phrase “bed hog”, they would almost certainly see a picture of Harleen Quinzel in place of a definition. It was never intentional, but between her constant subconscious search for someone to snuggle up to and Pam’s for a little bit of space, it had become normal for the red-head to wake up practically clinging to the edge of the bed. As her mind slowly began to shake off the trappings of what had been a very comfortable and deep sleep, she knew that was where she would inevitably be. What she hadn’t expected was the remaining darkness in the room around them, slightly lit only by the grow lights from the plants in the living room."





	Bad Dreams and Smiling Plants

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you in advance for stopping in to read this. I really hope you enjoy yourself. This is my first time writing for this fandom, but I have several Teen Titans things posted on FF.net under the same Author name, if you like how I handle super heroes. This is just a little one-shot I felt compelled to unleash on the world. Anyway, thanks again!

              If one were to look up the phrase “bed hog”, they would almost certainly see a picture of Harleen Quinzel in place of a definition. It was never intentional, but between her constant subconscious search for someone to snuggle up to and Pam’s for a little bit of space, it had become normal for the red-head to wake up practically clinging to the edge of the bed. As her mind slowly began to shake off the trappings of what had been a very comfortable and deep sleep, she knew that was where she would inevitably be. What she hadn’t expected was the remaining darkness in the room around them, slightly lit only by the grow lights from the plants in the living room.

              Confused, Ivy’s brow initially furrowed as she tried to place what had woken her up. Her babies didn’t usually need her after dark, so it couldn’t be them, and the poisonous plants around the perimeter kept out anyone dumb enough to not recognize the villainess’s trademarks. She didn’t have long to wait, however, before a whimper came from Harley’s side of the bed and realization settled over her. Sadness warred with rage for her dominant emotion as she could just guess what, or rather who, the little clown’s nightmare was about.

              Harley was on her back with one arm at her side but bent up at the elbow and one above her head while her knees were both pointed towards Pam, giving her lower body a slight twist. As her eyes adjusted and she processed the information they sent her, Harley continued to emit several more small noises of distress and the hand closest to her began to clench. She was unable to stand letting her girlfriend suffer a moment more and reactively placed a gentle but firm hand on her right shoulder, intending to wake her up.

              And that was when everything went wrong.

              Harley’s eyes snapped open as wide as they could possibly go immediately, and Mother Nature incarnate had a split second to see them blind with terror before she heard a scream and a fist crashed into her jaw so forcefully that the blow threw her off her sliver of the bed and dumped her on the floor beside it. Everything happened so quickly, Ivy didn’t even have a chance for a surprised yelp. She was just suddenly in a heap on the floor, reaching up to massage her jaw while she worked it from side to side. “Damn it, Harley,” she grumbled, less mad about being hit and more frustrated with her own lack of reaction and forethought.

              “Red? Oh no. No, no, no, no, no,” muttered a trembling voice from above, every denial coming amid a frantic rustling of sheets.

              Groaning inwardly at how far south things had gone in such a short time, she asked one of her nearby vines, a sturdy _Passiflora biflora_ that Harley especially liked to have in their bedroom “’cause the leaves look like little smiles”, to flip the light switch for her. The light came on just as she was slowly sliding a hand onto the bed and carefully rising into a crouch so she could see over the mattress. Her heart broke a little at the tiny figure in front of her.

              Her usually chipper partner was smashed up against the far head post and curled into as small and tight a ball as she could be, her arms folded against her chest with her legs in front of them and her head down, eyes tightly clenched shut with tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’m sorry! I’m so _so_ sorry! I didn’t mean it, I swear! Red, I swear I didn’t! Please, Red, I’m so sorry…” she pled on an endless loop, never stopping or slowing down, a long string of desperate supplication.

              Ivy, being deliberately slow and as nonthreatening as possible, pulled herself off the floor and sat down on the corner at the foot of the bed diagonally from her shaking friend. Apparently, she felt the bed move under her because blue eyes snapped open wide again and she started to breathe heavily, the perfect picture of a terrified cornered animal. Speaking as softly as she could, Pamela tried to soothe her, “Harley, baby? It’s ok. I’m not mad at you. Daffodil, you need to calm down before you make yourself sick, alright?”

              “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” she repeated, giving no sign that she heard her at all, “It was an accident! It won’t happen again! Never again! I can be good, Red, I promise! Don’t hurt me! Please!”

              Just when she thought her hatred of the Joker could not possibly grow any more, Dr. Isley was surprised to discover that it could and did. In spades. She swallowed the growl that threatened to leave her throat and decided that she would try her hardest to poison that psychotic jester at the very next chance. For now though, she shoved those feelings away to focus on her girlfriend. She cursed her luck that her lavender plant was in the greenhouse. It would have helped greatly right now. “Shhh, Harley, shhh. I know, sweet pea, it’s ok. _I’m_ ok. I’m not mad, and I absolutely am not going to hurt you,” she reassured her, quietly and gently.

              Harley didn’t say anything this time, she just continued to stare at Ivy and shiver, but her breathing worsened and was now interspersed with great gasps for air as if she were drowning on dry land. “Daffodil, I am not going to hurt you. I won’t. Please try to calm down for me?” Ivy tried again, anxious to stop her before she made herself throw up or pass out. After a moment, she began to nod her head repeatedly as the gasps were replaced by even bigger, shuddering exhalations and her eyes closed again.

              “Good job, baby, very good. Just breathe, ok?” she encouraged, relieved that she had finally gotten through to her even a little. She waited a little while longer, making more soothing noises and telling her how well she was doing, until her respiration slowed down sufficiently then asked, “Can I come a little closer now?”

              Bright blue eyes opened again to regard her wearily, but she nodded again and stammered, “Y-yeah. I think… tha-that’s ok.” She used one hand to wipe under both eyes, but since she was still crying it didn’t seem to do much good, and she tucked back into herself as soon as she had finished the quick motion.

              Scooting half of the length of the bed towards her, Pam stopped there so the blond didn’t feel cornered or intimidated. She was also careful not to appear to be staring her down, instead focusing on her intended destination until she sat on top of it. When she finally did look up at her, she did so slowly and took her time to carefully pan up her quaking frame until she caught her eyes and smiled reassuringly. “There we are, Daffodil. I’m not going to come any closer right now. Are you ok? Feeling a little better now?” she inquired.

              Huffing a mirthless laugh, Harley replied, “Me? I didn’t just get s-sucker punched off the fr-freakin’ bed.” Her eyes shown with pain and more tears while she whispered again, “I’m sorry, Red.”

              “Let’s not worry about that right now, I want to know about you, Harl. Is there anything I can get you?” she prodded, trying to keep her focused on herself.

              Her hand shot out but couldn’t reach Ivy and ended up fisted in the sheets beside her. “No! Please don’t leave, Red,” she begged, wanting to hold her there but unable to move from her curled position yet.

              “Shhh. That’s fine baby, I’ll stay right here. You can come to me when you are ready, alright?” Ivy told her, obviously relaxing her posture to underscore her words.

              Harley sighed in relief and nodded, “Ok.” Letting go of the sheets, she rearranged her arms to hold her legs and put her chin on her knees, somehow both more and less defensive than before. She hiccupped a little and wiped her eyes again, explaining sadly, “I had a nightmare, Pammy.”

              If she were dealing with anyone else at this moment, she would have deadpanned what she thought: ‘ _Well, obviously!_ ’ Instead, she managed to keep a straight face at the admission and offered, “I’m sorry, sweet pea. Do you want to tell me about it?”

              She looked so reluctant that Ivy started to remind her that she didn’t have to until and unless she was ready, but before she could she sniffled again and said, “Mist- Joker was mad at me.” Beginning to stop there, she realized that her Pammy was nodding at her to go on and hesitantly continued, “I told him I was leavin’. H-he didn’t like that very much.” Her gaze shifted over to stare at a spot on the bed in front of her without really seeing it, caught up in memory that made old scars ache afresh.

              Ivy ached to move closer and wrap her up and never let go, but she had pledged to let her approach when the time was right and she would be damned if she broke that promise now while everything was so raw. Fumbling for something she could do without moving herself, her attention landed on the _biflora_ again. It liked Harley and since it had turned on the light it had been silently watching its mother and its friend with quiet concern for the pair. She reached out to it with a simple request, ‘ _Help me.’_

              Harley flinched away hard when something unexpectedly caressed her cheek, her attention darting over first to her girlfriend who, true to her word, had not moved a muscle closer. However, a slight green glow was emanating from her already green eyes, filled with silent support and concern. She pulled her head back to look at a vine with a few wet, grinning leaves that was cautiously hovering next to her, having wrapped part of itself around the bed post for support. A sad smile pulled the corners of her mouth up just a little and she laughed wetly. “Hiya, Happy. How’s things?” she whispered to it genuinely, reaching up one hand to steady the plant and the other to stroke its foliage. The vine settled further into her hand and loosely coiled around her thumb once, seeming to enjoy the attention. She gently pushed one leaf up to look at the underside and commented, “No mean buggies chewing on ya, so that’s good. We both know your mamma wouldn’t let that happen though, huh?” Her delicate fingers continued to dance in and around the vegetation as she inspected and pet the plant, muttering quiet inquires and assurances to it until they were both content.

              Finally, she said, “Ok, lil’ guy. Lemme loose,” and carefully extracted her thumb from its grip before helping it curl around the top of the bed knob like a bad green toupee, the thought making her giggle. She swiveled back around to Ivy, whose eyes had lost the glow, and appeared to reach a decision. Without a word, she crawled over and in to her lap, wrapping her arms tight around her middle and burying her head in her chest. A muffled “thank you” drifted out from between her breasts.

              Ivy returned the embrace in full, replying, “I didn’t do much. I just gave it a boost.”

              To her surprise, Harley shook her head, then turned it to the side and explained, “No, Red, not that. Thank you for, I dunno… not gettin’ mad? Not crowdin’ me?” She became silent again, then added quietly, “Not hittin’ back even when I deserved it.”

              Pulling away just long enough to press a kiss to her temple, Pam rubbed her back and asserted, “Daffodil, you did not do a single thing to ‘deserve’ being struck.”

              “How’s your jaw, Pammy?” the former psychologist sarcastically returned, voice dripping with self-depreciating venom.

              Poison Ivy gently but firmly placed her hand under Harley’s chin, lifting and turning her head to look her in to her eyes. “It would probably be much better if I hadn’t startled you awake, now wouldn’t it?” she replied pointedly, arcing an eyebrow at her tone. A smile played on her features, “I find myself oddly proud of you, though. You hit like a girl,” she congratulated her.

              Caught off guard by the strange compliment, Harley couldn’t help but laugh. Grinning, she leaned forward and kissed Ivy’s red, usually deadly, lips without hesitation, then moved over and left a trail of much gentler ones down her jaw, and finally settled her head in the crook of her neck, snuggling in happily. “How come you always know what to say, Red?” she pondered warmly.

              Smiling, she tilted her head over to rest on top of her girlfriend’s and answered, “I hate to break it to you, sweet pea, but you really aren’t that hard to figure out. The first rule with you is: ‘when in doubt, make a joke.’”

              Harley giggled again, retorting, “And here I just thought you was funny.” Ivy pat her leg once forcefully, which only encouraged more laughter.

              The two sat together in silence enjoying their cuddling until finally the smaller of them gave a big yawn and sleepily inquired, “Don’t we have a big day in the greenhouse tomorrow, Red? We oughta get some shut-eye.”

              Remembering all of the repotting, trimming, and preparation they had to do for the oncoming winter, Pamela nodded as she released her hold on her lap’s occupant and nudged her off. Harley crawled toward the head of the bed and nestled into her pillow while Ivy settled in beside her and pulled the blankets up around them. As soon as she got those settled, she wrapped her arm around her and pulled Harley’s back close against her front, intending to hold her until morning or she rolled over her in trying to get even closer, whichever came first.

              “Happy, can you get the light?” the little spoon requested, turning her head and planting a warm kiss on Pam’s upper arm. A rustle of leaves answered her as the vine slowly retraced its path back around the room towards its pot and the switch. “Hey Pammy?” she said.

              “If you apologize again for my jaw, I won’t make you breakfast in the morning,” she threatened playfully.

              Smiling, Harley gave a fake cough that sounded a lot like ‘liar’ and squirmed in closer. Ignoring the teasing, she sighed serenely and replied, “I love you, Red.”

              Ivy returned her kiss to the back of her head and answered, “I love you too, Daffodil.”

              With a click, comfortable darkness settled back into the room, and peace born of love and understanding once again held dominion over this one small corner of Gotham City.


End file.
